Young dog sledder prepares for 1,600-km trek

A 22-year-old woman from Fort McMurray, Alta., is training to be one of the youngest female competitors ever to take part in the Yukon Quest, a 1,600-kilometre sled dog race that traces historic sled routes once used by prospectors and trappers.

"It's like a vacation to me," Christina Traverse says in an interview with CBC reporter Briar Stewart. "You're totally relaxed and you get to enjoy the company of your dogs."

Traverse will test her endurance during the race, which stretches from Whitehorse to Fairbanks, Alaska, and takes between 10 and 16 days, depending on the weather.

Click the above video to hear about Traverse's love of the sport — and her fear of ice.

Corrections

An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Christina Traverse as the youngest female competitor ever to take part in the Yukon Quest.